Interlocking tile slab



- 1,485,068 l w. BURGESS INTERLOCKING TILE SLAB Filed April 17. 1922 I 337501.

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v Del.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 26,1924.

UNHTEB area earner rates.

EDWARD W. BURGESS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

INTERLOCKING TILE SLAB.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 554,036.

ence being had to the accompanying drawings as showing some constructional forms in which my invention has been embodied.

The invention relates to cast or moulded concrete slabs, designed for use in forming the floors as well as the roofs of structural steel frame and other buildings.

Precast concrete tile slabs, by reason of the convenience with which they may be installed in position, have largely superseded concrete surfaces cast in place to form roof decks, and are also being used in the construction of floors. In addition to the convenience which inheres to their ready installation in position, there resides a great economy in the manufacture of tiles of the desired dimensions over the older practices of building forms and boxes to support the concrete mixtures heretofore used in constructing floor and roof sections of larger areas.

As indicated above, precast tile havecome into general use, having been found to possess extreme serviceability. These precast tile are made of rectangular sections for short spans, and of channel type sections for longer spans. In roof structures they are laid directly on thepurlins or trusses,

with the joint sealed with elastic cement, and

covered with suit-able roof material.

In recognition of the fact that aconcentrated load upon one of the tile will serve to deflect the same somewhat from its normal plane, attempt has been made to interlock the tile at their abutting edges, so that a distribution of the load imposed upon any one of the tile will be effected and'placed upon the adjacent tile, by virtue of such interlocking means. Such interlocking means have been permanent in form, and have necessitated destruction of the tile when it was desired to remove any of the same. 7

My present invention involves the formation with interlocking means which are permanent in character so long as the roof or floor is not disturbed. But in my invention, the interlocking means may be easily withdrawn when desired, thus permitting the removal from its position in the floor or roof of any tile, and without injury to the same. The tile so IQITOVG ay be restored to its position if desired, and again interlocked to" the adjoining tile in an exceedingly simple and efficient manner. The advantages of my invention are particularly. manifest in thefloors of buildings constructed for manufacturing purposes, where n it is necessary to make openings through the floors for the installation of machinery and other equipment, after'the completion of the building. Openings may be made where desired, and

closed with equal facility when no longer needed, and this may be accomplished Without affecting the integrity of the floor structure after restoration thereof has been made.

In carrying out my invention, I cast in the edges of the tile, diagonal slots which register in the adjacent tile when placed in posi-- tion. Into the registeringslots thus formed I drive keys of suitable material having a width sufficient to fill the slots, a single key thus engaging and mutually supporting the adjacent tile. By reason of a the angular arrangement of the keysin the slots, a load resting upon one tile is thereby distributed to the contiguous tile. WVhen it is desired to. remove a tile it is necessary only to drive the key out of slots. The tile then being no longer interlocked with the adjacent tile, may readily be lifted from its position; In

the event of restoration of the tile-to its.

former position to close the opening, it will be necessary only again to insert keys tov restore the surface to its prime condition.

In the drawing which accompanies this specification, and in the latter,I have shown and described some specific forms in which the invention has been embodied; But I do not limit the scope of my'invention to what is shown and described, inasmuch as my invention resides broadly in interlocking adjacent tile by means of keys entered in diagonal slots or channels formed in the edges of the tile, whereby any load resting upon one tile is distributed to the adjacent tile through such interlocking provisions, and permitting the easy removal of a tile by simply with drawing the interlocking key.

In the drawings which accompany this specification Figure 1 is a plan view showingia group, ing of two tile as assembled in a floor or roof section, and showing the manner in which the interlocking is effected.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an edge view showing in elevation one of the tile shown in Figs. .1 and 2..

Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the tile as provided with an increased number. of slotsfor effecting. the interlocking 111' a. larger degree.

Fig. 5 is like view of a modification which will be described hereinafter.

In the drawing, the numerals 10 indicate precast concretetile slabs, serviceable in theformation ofbothfloors and'roofs. Ingcast ing or moulding. such tile Icreate inclined .or diagonal slots -11, which are uniformly. formed, at predetermined points in the sideedges ofthe tile, so that in, whatever position the tile may be assembled.between. the

girders or purlins, thesaid slots will register.

in the adjacent. tile. After the. tile have been laid Idrive-into.thediagonal slots keysor-splines 12 which are ofsulfi'cient dimensions-to entirelyfill the slots and be retained therein by frictionalengagement. length ofthe keys 12 should bev about-equal to that of the diagonal slots in which they are inserted, and atheyshould .be driven into position so thatitheir upper ends will be fiushawith the surface ofthe tile.

These keys 12 maybe of any suitable ma terial, such as metal .or hard wood, or they" may be formed iii-some casesof concrete either precast andv grouted. in place, or poured in.

In: some instances, referring to Fig. 5, it may be desirable to extend the slot onlv partially acrosssthe edge of the title, so as.

to leave the lower face of the-tileunbroken.

as at 13. In such constructions thekeys will: be of appropriate length. In arranging for the removalof a-tile of either class-it is necessary only to drive the keys through" from the upper surface, whereupon the. particular tile maybe lifted'from its place.

Theopenings formed on:the opposite edges of the title 'by the dislodgment-of the keys affords a means for engaging the tile with: suitable appliances to lift itfrom its posi tion.

The construction in which my invention is used is *SUPGIIOIJH strength to the ordinary arrangement in which the interlocking of the tile slabs is effected by the use of tongues and grooves extending longitudinally ofthe tile, or otherwise. In all of such older constructions, the shearing strength of the concrete is much less than one half of the depth of the tile. In my improved construction however, a much greater and maximum shearing strength of theconcrete is attained,

due to the diagonal bearing which extendsover the full depth of the tile. The slots 11 The The interlocking provisions on theedges,

of'the tile slabs may be one-.or a plural num: ber, determined by the length ;of the V tile slabs, as required by the particular construction-in which such tile slabs aretov be used.

Having thus. described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent. of'the United States, is:

1. Interlocking tile slabs formed with diagonal slots. in, their opposite edges, in

combination with keys fillingthe register ing slots of adjacent tile slabs, whereby a weight imposed upon onetileslab is distributed' .throughsuch keys. to the. adjacent tile. slabs.

2. A floor structure composed ofprecast tile slabs, the abutting edges ofwhich are provided with. diagonally extending registering, slots, .incombination withkeys filling the, slots, whereby a. weight imposed slabs- 3.. Interlocking tile. slabs,. the abutting; edges of whichare formedwith diagonally extending registering slots, incmnbination. with. removable keysv in. the said slots i. and

serving to maintain the. tile slabs, in the same. plane. when a load. is imposed upon .one

of them? 4. A precastconcrete tile. slab adaptedjo 1 be supported at its ends andformedjwith. diagonal. slots orgrooves 1n ,itsedges for the reception of aukey todnterlockitwithan adjoning. tile. slab. I

5. A, floor structure comprising precast tile slabs each-ofwhich=is provided in its. edges with-dia onal slots for. the reception.

of keys to interlock adjoining tile slabs, such keys being removable. from the. slots, toaperinit a tile slab tov be. removed from thei fieor without-damage to the tile slab.

6. A, floor structure comprising precast tile slabs-eachof: which, is-formed;in its. edges with means for distributingv the weight imposed on one tile 'to the adjoining tiles, in combination with removable keys interlock:

upon one of the tile slabs is distributed through the saidkeys. to the adjoiningtile ing the said means on abutting tile slabs. V

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 13th day of 'Apr1l,.

E. W. BURGESS. Witnesses W. F. WooLAan, W. E. Rnuss.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,485,068, granted February 26, 1924, upon the application of Edward W. Burgess, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for an improvement in Interlocking Tile Slabs, an error appears requiring correction as follows: In the drawing strike out Figure 6; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of May, A. D. 1925.

[emu] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

